Review: Escort Passport 8500ci Plus

Review: Escort Passport 8500ci Plus

Budget-priced built-in model

By Radartest staffLast updated: 2016

By Radartest staffLast updated: 2016

Control/display module is all that's seen inside the vehicle, protecting from theft—and official scrutiny.

Not everyone wants to advertise the presence of a radar detector. Aside from being irresistible to thieves, a detector dangling from the windshield invites disapproval from gents wearing guns and badges. In recent years there's another incentive to consider an alternative: some cars won't allow a radar detector to operate correctly. Several manufacturers' windshield solar tint contains a metal film that's invisible to the eye but which renders a detector nearly useless.

The traditional solution has been the custom-installed remote radar detector whose discreet components are built-in to the vehicle. Trouble is, these remotes are pricey. The Escort Passport 9500ci and its twin, from sister division Beltronics, the STiR Plus, cost up to $1,999, plus installation.

This makes the Escort Passport 8500ci Plus a comparative bargain. Like the others it has GPS to protect against red light and speed cameras. It can also be fitted with the
Shifter Pack, dual front laser jammers to counter police lasers.

The Escort 8500CI radar antenna mounts in the grille area, linked to an interface box under the dash. A thumb-size control/display can be placed anywhere it's convenient to see and operate.

All of the BEL and Escort remote models, the Escort Passport 8500ci Plus included, have an additional attraction for those with leased vehicles—the display can be surface-mounted without drilling holes in the dash, damage certain to be noticed when the car comes off lease.

The Escort Passport 8500ci Plus has a small control/display module for power, volume, audio muting and display brightness. Two more buttons handle the GPS functions.

Meter options include Bar Graph (these increase progressively to depict signal strength); Spec Mode or Expert Meter. The latter will track up to nine simultaneous threats, displaying the band ID and relative signal strength for each. For the knowledgeable, Spec display is invaluable, allowing non-police radar signals to be identified and dismissed at a glance.

An amplified auxiliary speaker installs under the dash and broadcasts audible alerts at 108 decibels, loud enough to be heard in a top-down convertible at freeway speeds.

The Escort Passport 8500CI Plus has GPS and warns of red light and speed cameras.

Another test that compared conventional detectors with the GPS-enabled, among them the Escort Passport 9500ix, we circled an urban loop and recorded the number of false alarms from each model. The difference in behavior was surprising.

For example, one sensitive non-GPS model, the Valentine One or V1, blurted dozens of false alarms. In comparison, the Escort 9500ix and its clone, the Beltronics Pro 500, each uttered only only a handful of false alarms. The Escort Passport 8500ci Plus's GPS gives it a similar resistance to false alarms.

With its modest price and stellar performance, the Escort Passsport 8500ci Plus remains one of the most desirable built-in radar detectors.